Automatic steering means for plow-engines.



0-. 'A. PRINZ. AUTOMATIC STBERINQ MEANS FOR PLOW ENGINES.

APPLIOATION FILED N0V.5, 1909.

' Patented MarQ15, 1910.

XQ/JLW 9. afra d,"

. frame of the vehicle body 4 may comprise NITED simrnsn'rn'r CHARLES A. PRINZ, OF CHALCO, NEBRASKA.

AUTQIVIATIC STEERING MEANS FOR PLOW-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 15, 19110.

. Application filed November 5, 1909. Serial No. 526,357.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that L'CHARLES A. Pamz, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chalco, in thecounty of Sarpy and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Steering -Means for Plow-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a steering device for use-in connection with traction engines and other like draft-vehicles employed for moving ang plows, and has for its object to provi e a comparatively inexpensive apparatus which may be conveniently mounted upon vehicles or engines of this class.

W hen'using these engines for plowing, in

addition to the service of 'a fireman or eng1-' neer, an operator has been required to-manually guide or steer it.

One of the objectsof the invention is to provide steering means which wil1 op erate automatically, to the end that manualsteering may be dispensed with and expense in operation thereby reduced, said steering means to 'be reliable for guiding the vehicle or engineso that it will move upon the land at a uniform distance from the'furrow.

With these and other objects in view the invention presents a novel combination and arrangement of parts as described herein and claimed, and as illustrated in the drawm a The single figure of the drawing is a plan view of the front part of a traction engine with my automatic steering means mounted thereon, the frame being partly broken away and parts shown in section.

Referring nowto the drawing for a more particular description, numeral 1 indicatesthe front axle, 2 the axle-yoke and 3 the front wheels of a traction engine. The

side plates or supports 5 and 6, and suitable cross plates suitably connected therewith.

Revolubly mounted in-brackets 7 upon the I free ends of the parallel side plates 5 and 6,

rearwardly of wheels 3, and'extending between the side plates, is' a screw 8 having a rider member or sleeve 9, said member being internally threaded in the 'usual manner for longitudinal movement upon the screw, when the latter. is rotated.

At 10 is indicated a reach or lever having its rear end pivotally mounted at 11 upon the frame, midway between side plates 5 and 6 upon cross piece'l2, said lever being ber 9, by means of bolt 13 seated in slot 13, its front end being ivotally mounted at 14: upon the sliding ro or bolt 15.

It will be understood that frame l shown in the drawing is a part of the underframe of a traction engine, now generally emsecured near its front end upon rider memployed for drawing gang plows. A part 10 and cause a sidewise swinging movement of said lever. 7

In the-movement of the vehicle or engine, so long as the horizontal sliding-bolt 15v is in alinement with the pivotal mountings l4 and 17, wheels 3 will move in a direction parallel with the line of, draft. And it is obvious that a sidewise swinging movement of lever 10 will'cause a reversely swinging movement of bolt 15,;and will cause yoke 2to swing in the same direction as bolt 15,

thereby causing wheels 3 to swing hori-" zontallyin a directionthe reverse to that of lever 10, the rear end of yoke 2 providing a sheath or housing within which bolt 15 may slide.

' In order that means may be provided which will operate automatically to guide the engine so that its body or frame will move at a uniform distance from the furrow,

I employ a drag or follower 19, whichrnay have asuitable width to correspond with the width of the furrow 20, and devices'are emsupport or bracket 22 which may have any suitable length or form so that it will provide a pivotal mounting 23 for rock-bar 24.

The rear endof bar 24, preferably, is curved downwardly at 25, and is pivotally mounted at 26 upon the front end of yoke 27, the terminals of the yoke being pivotally mounted at 28 upon the front axle 29 of the follower.

.The rear axle 30 is connected rigidl with the front by means of cross bars 3 and wheels or disks 32 have. their treads '33 formed convergent, from their inner totheir outer edges. 1 v

While I do not limit myself to exactness, the construction as described is preferred time the-shape of the disks tends to prevent the follower from leaving the furrow and causes it to operate as a reliable furrow engaging device; the pivotal mountings 26 and 28 are such that the connecting yoke 27 may have a vertically swinging movement when passing over obstructions within the furrow, a horizontal swinging movement being pre vented, whereby the parallel arms of. the

yoke are at all times disposed parallel with;

the lineof draft of the follower. At 34 is indicated a bell crank, the'same being mounted at 35 upon the arch or cross iece 36 ,of frame 4, the terminal of one of 1ts arms having a pivotal mounting37 with the inner end of link or actuating-rod 38, the outer end of the link being pivotally mounted at 39 upon the front end of rock bar 24. The opposite end of the bell crank has a fin er or extension 40 disposed in the groove 0 clutch' 41 mounted upon the hori- "zontal' actuating shaft 42, said shaft being mounted in suitable bearings upon and dis posed transversely of the frame.

Idler pinions 43 and 44 are seated upon shaft 42 adjacent tothe clutch, and in operation, if the vehicle moves substantially parallel with the furrow the clutch will remain out of engagement with the gears or pinions 'mentione If, however, the wheels move in a direction toward the furrow durin a forward'movement, it is obvious that frame 4 will be moved nearer to said furrow, and link 38 will be moved outwardly from frame 4. Since arm 45 of the bell crank will then swing outwardly, finger 40 will cause the clutch to engage pinion 43, thereby causing the frontend of lever 10 to'move-an the direction indicated by the arrow, and causing wheels 3 to move in a direction outwardly from the furrow,

The outward movement of wheels 3 just described, resulting from engagement of the clutch with pinion 43 is occasioned by reason of the meshing of said pinion 43 with pinion 46 of shaft 47. Shaft 47 may be the drive shaft of the motor or engine, and dur -1ng operation, is in constant rotation. Shaft 42 may have a pinion 48 in engagement with the pinion upon the rear end of shaft 49, this last named shaft being suitably s'upported upon-and disposed longitudinally of frame4; and upon the front end of shaft 49 is provided pinion 50 in engagement with pinion 51 of shaft 52. Screw 8 is provided with pinion 53, said pinion being in engagement with, pinion 51, whereby the screw is rotated to cause its rider 9 to move in the direction of side plate 5 of the frame, with the result as stated, that the vehicle or draft engine will be guided or steered, the front part so of wheels 3 being moved outwardly from the I furrow. Pinion 44 is mounted as an idler upon shaft 42 and, by operation of the clutch, rotates in a direction reversely to that of pin ion 43 for the reason that it is inengage ment with the intermediate bevel gearwheel 54 mounted as an idler and supported in any 'suitable manner for this engagement. The.

intermediate gear wheel 54 is inengagemen't with pinion 55 mounted as an idler upon shaft 42, pinion 55 being in engagement with pinion 56 of shaft 47.

The. devices described are elfective for a. control of wheels 3 and while these wheels 9 ,1 move forwardly. they are maintained parallel with the furrow, whereby the engine is automatically steered. r The particular arrangement of gearing andc onnections therefor asabove described is not important, and I do not limit myself to exactness of. details. The invention consists, broadly, of a furrow-engaging member connected with the front wheels of a draft engine when used for plowing, so that automatic steering may be effected.

' In operation, the traction engine is propelled 1n the usual manner, and wheels 3, while moving forwardly, are maintained I parallel with the furrow since follower 19 by reason of its construction and seating in the furrow resists any outward or inward movement of supporting arm 22, whereby link 38- will be actuated to the extent that it will be moved. in the same direction as said supporting arm, the result being that screw 8 will be partly rotated and, thereby, the front axle will be swung to aright angle with the fur-- row.

Having mentioned the several parts and their function, any' further description of operation is not necessary.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,. v p

The combination with a traction engine frame for drawing gang plows, said frame having afront, Wheel-s11 ported axle, of a with said actuating-rod and with said axle 10 followers member adapts to have a seating for maintaining the axle at substantially :in the "furrow, a supporting member upon right angles to the furrow.

and extending outwardly of one of the sides In testimony whereof I have aflixed my of-said frame, a rock-bar mounted upon the signature in presence of two Witnesses.

- supporting member, a yoke having pivotal CHARLES A. PRINZ.

mountings upon the follower member and WVitnesses: said l oek-bar, an actuating-rod mounted GEORGE W. CovELL, upon sald rock bar; and means connected HIRAM A. STURGES. 

